Survey reveals extent of motorists’ bad behaviour

Driver across the country admitted to driving while over the drink drive limit.

Published:15:47Wednesday 19 October 2016

Share this article

Road users across the UK have confessed their driving misdemeanours as part of a new survey with some unsettling results.

Conducted by UK car and van insurance specialist Staveley Head, the report showed that a huge 97 per cent of motorists in Scotland admitted to speeding over the legal limit while the 43 per cent said they drive over the legal speed limit quite often and 13 per cent said they speed every single time they drive.

The company found that van drivers live up to their stereotype as the UK’s worst motoring offenders although the findings show that it is not men but the van-driving women who are the worst offenders on UK roads.

Women are far more likely to take a selfie while driving than men, one in three confessed to using snapchat behind the wheel, 36 per cent have driven while over the limit and one in four women have clipped a car and driven off. Additionally. 22 per cent of the women who took part have wolf-whistled outside of their vehicle and one in four in the area are at risk of getting their car clipped by a woman and watching them drive off.

Last month it was announced that new legislation regarding use of mobile phones while driving is expected to come into force in the new year, meaning drivers will receive six points on their licence and face a £200 fine when caught – double the current penalty of three points and a £100 fine. However, this appears to be no deterrent to drivers in Scotland as 70 per cent admitted to still using their phones while behind the wheel and 7 per cent have taken a selfie while doing so.

Overall, Scots averaged 4.39 out of 10 on the Have You Ever? quiz while motorists in the South West came out as the most angelic scoring an average 4.06 out of 10. Road users in Northern Ireland, however, came out as the naughtiest with 5.96 out of 10.

When it comes to committing the illegal and legal driving sins, female motorists in Northern Ireland are the worst culprits, as they admitted to 90 per cent of the offences.

Ashley Peters, Staveley Head managing director, said: “We were surprised by some of the results from the survey. As an insurer of thousands of commercial vehicles every year, we know that the majority of drivers are extremely careful on the roads. However, of those who completed the survey, we did discover groups who freely admitted to speeding, using their phone while on the move and even potentially driving whilst under the influence of alcohol.

“It goes without saying that we would always recommend people take the upmost care behind the wheel and that they abide by all the laws of the road at all times.”

Find out how naughty a driver you are by taking the test at www.staveleyhead.co.uk/assets/confessions-of-the-road/index.html